Employee sentenced in tainted beef scheme

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In this January 13, 2014 file photo, cows wait to be butchered at Rancho Veal slaughterhouse in Petaluma. A federal grand jury has indicted four officials at the Northern California slaughterhouse at the center of a massive beef recall, alleging they slaughtered cows with cancer while inspectors were on their lunch breaks and distributed the diseased cattle, prosecutors announced Monday Aug. 18, 2014. Petaluma-based Rancho Feeding Corp. halted operations in February after a series of recalls, including one for 8.7 million pounds of beef. The meat was sold at Walmart and other national chains and used in products, including Hot Pockets.

He pleaded guilty in 2014 to one count of conspiracy to distribute adulterated, misbranded and uninspected meat. Prosecutors say he acknowledged directing other employees to carve “USDA Condemned” stamps out of carcasses and place heads from apparently healthy cows next to the carcasses of cows showing signs of cancer eye.

The scheme led to a massive beef recall. Three other people, including the plant’s owner, have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in the case.